Mobile and connected devices (e.g., smart phones, tablets, etc.), which provide Internet connectivity to device users on the move, are transforming patterns of social and business behavior. Consumers are increasingly integrating mobile behaviors into their lifestyles. There is a growing use of mobile applications, not merely mobile browsers, for diverse purposes. Business applications (e.g., transactional business applications) have become relevant to mobile device use. As use of mobile devices continues to grow, consumers may expect business applications running on the mobile devices to have increasing functions and capabilities. The functions and capabilities of applications running on mobile computing platforms may be affected by features (e.g., limited data transfer rates, limited processing power, and temporary and unpredictable connectivity to the web) that are associated with the mobile devices. Yet, consumers may expect applications running on the mobile devices to have the same or similar capabilities as applications running on larger or immobile enterprise computing platforms. For example, consumers may want business applications running on mobile computing platforms to have the same analytical features or capabilities (e.g., reports or queries) associated with business applications (e.g., reporting or descriptive analytics, modeling or predictive analytics, data-driven strategy, clustering, affinity grouping, etc.) running on enterprise computing platforms.
Each mobile business application running on a mobile device may be affected differently and respond differently to operating conditions and features (e.g., limited data transfer rates, limited processing power, and temporary and unpredictable connectivity to the web) that are associated with the mobile devices.
Consideration is now being given to a common infrastructure for development of business applications on mobile computing platforms.